Nasser Hussain and Dinesh Karthik Clash Over Shubman Gill's Comment on England's Delay Tactics

A heated debate unfolded on air between former England captain Nasser Hussain and former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik during the first day of the Manchester Test, as both experts exchanged strong opinions over Indian Test captain Shubman Gill’s recent comments.

The spark for the discussion came from Gill’s remarks following the third Test at Lord’s, where India suffered a defeat. Gill had raised concerns in the post-match press conference, stating that England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett arrived 90 seconds late to the crease at the start of their innings on Day 3. According to him, Team India was ready to resume play, but the English batters took unnecessary time, which he felt was not in line with the spirit of the game.

The issue was brought up again during commentary on Day 1 of the fourth Test in Manchester, where Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur were at the crease for India. The play had briefly been impacted due to poor lighting, prompting the floodlights to come on at Old Trafford. Jadeja was even seen discussing the lighting conditions with on-field umpires Ehsan Raza and Rod Tucker.

It was during this segment that Nasser Hussain criticized Gill’s press conference comments, downplaying the delay. “I think the umpires were rightly concerned about the fading light in the last over. I didn’t see any light meter, but honestly, I’m laughing at Shubman Gill’s complaint. England deliberately delayed the game by 90 seconds? For one over? It’s not unsporting; it’s common in cricket. India would do the same in that situation. No one would want to face Jofra Archer in poor light.”

However, Dinesh Karthik disagreed strongly with Hussain’s view and came to Gill’s defense. “There is a big difference in the scenarios,” Karthik asserted. “I don’t think India would delay coming out to bat for 90 seconds deliberately. Gill had an issue and he simply spoke about it. The England batters did take extra time to reach the crease, and it was noticeable. It may seem like a small delay, but in professional sport, intent and fairness matter.”

Gill’s original statement had struck a chord with many, where he acknowledged that most teams, including India, might adopt such strategies to minimize overs in tricky conditions. However, he emphasized that there is a correct way to do it. “If you’re injured and need the physio, that’s acceptable,” Gill had said. “But deliberately walking out late by over a minute doesn't reflect well on the spirit of the game.”

As the cricketing world debates the fine line between gamesmanship and fairness, the Manchester Test continues to unfold with high intensity. By the end of Day 1, India posted 264 runs for the loss of four wickets. Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a fluent 58, while debutant Sai Sudharsan impressed with a solid 61. At stumps, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur were unbeaten on 19 each, providing India with a steady platform heading into Day 2.